Department of Mathematics

Department of Mathematics

While many a technical innovation is based on results and contributions from mathematics, frequently their significance is not transparent. Mathematical methods underlie modern forms of communication, allowing safe data exchange and E-business. Optimization methods support logistical challenges in supply chains.

Solutions for problems and innovations in engineering, medical technology, ecology and economy are often based on mathematical analyses and simulations of the highly complex structures involved.

But mathematics is not only significant in the high-tech realm; it plays an essential role-- which frequently goes unnoticed--in many areas of everyday life, helping with decision-making. So, e.g., optimized traffic light controllers tame traffic flows, statistical test methods verify the efficacy of drugs and therapies, many areas of the economy require diverse risks to be quantified and assessed. But the significance of mathematics as a living science is not limited to its direct applicability to real problems in science and real life - basic research is also a fundamental pillar of mathematics that is essential for future developments.

Research within the Mathematics Department at the RWTH Aachen focuses on algebra and computer algebra, calculus, computational engineering science, differential equations, logic, numerics, optimization, statistics and numbers theory, as well as generally, on mathematical modeling in engineering, the life sciences, and economics. Both interdisciplinary, application-oriented research as well as knowledge-oriented research are part of how Mathematics sees itself at RWTH Aachen.